Doom Desire
by Elfable
Summary: Will had to watch his best friend die. Now, with a wish to bring her back, he discovers that she isn't the same girl she used to be. He is then faced with a choice, with only one answer: keep the one he holds closest to his heart and witness the destruction of an entire kingdom, or make the ultimate sacrifice and prevent darkness from dominating the universe.
1. Prologue Doom Desire

**Title: **Prologue

**Rating: **This fanfiction is rated K+

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Pokémon, as much as I want to.

**Author's notes: **Well, here it is, my first multi-chaptered fanfiction! I have been working on this for ages, and finally it's up. I'm so excited! I can't wait to see what other people think of it! It's been in my head for about a year and now it's ready.

I don't really have anything else important to say now, apart from enjoy!

* * *

** Doom Desire**

** Prologue**

Will was an outsider.

In his life, he basically had no one. When his parents were suddenly torn apart, along with their house, during a Mightyena attack on his home, he had barely escaped himself. He had been only seven, and after the attack, he had stumbled around his village of Littleroot and endured the Metapod and Caterpie, which had ran over his dirty feet and made him shudder. He begged people to let him stay with them, for a little while at least.

However, his efforts were to no avail. Everyone either slammed the door in his face, or gently told him they couldn't handle another mouth to feed. Unfortunately for Will, the latter situation was much less frequent. A little tiredly, Will found himself knocking at yet another door to an expensive house, his bare feet filthy and numb from walking up and down so many paths. He watched the door open, revealing that the house inside was glowing with a cosy light, which looked extremely inviting. He braced himself for the _slam._

It didn't come.

Instead, a pretty little girl around his age with a blonde ponytail answered the door. She had startling black eyes that were slightly intimidating, and she was wearing clothes that looked like they should have been worth a lot but seemed as if she had tried to make them look as normal as possible. She seemed surprised that it was just a child her age, because it registered on her expression.

"Why are you here?" she asked. Her voice was quite posh, and she obviously hated the sound of it, because she pulled a face.

"Um..." Will began. "I was wondering -" He didn't continue, because a female voice from further inside the house was asking who it was. The girl called back that there was a little person at the door. A woman who was obviously the kid's mother, as she had the same blonde hair, came to the doorway.

"Look, we don't buy anything at the door."

"What? No! I just don't have anywhere to go! My parents only just di -" Will's voice caught in his throat. "Sorry, I'll stop bothering you, I'll go now." He trudged dejectedly down the path, his head low. He'd try the next house, he decided, if he didn't collapse right there on the pavement.

"Wait!"

Light footsteps echoed down the short lane. Turning around, Will saw the girl running towards him, her ponytail unravelling. "Mother says you can come in. Well, more me than her. I kind of persuaded – sorry, I'm going off on a tangent." She grinned. "The point is, you can stay, so come _on_!"

Will didn't hesitate. Maybe it was the pleasant sensation of someone finally talking to him like a regular human being, or maybe he was just so exhausted that he didn't argue. Forcing himself to walk, he followed the girl up towards the mansion – the _mayor's _mansion, he realised with a start. The revelation jolted him into falling over and scraping his hands.

He didn't allow himself to flinch. He had a mutual dislike for his father, Elton, and was ashamed when he found he didn't miss the man at all when he died, but his mother was a different story. Marianne was really the only one who he loved. She sang lullabies in a strained voice to Will, whose father only stopped his raging to head to the Zorua and Houndoom, the local bar, where he would surely drink himself senseless and use up the little money the family had. She had desperately scraped together enough money to get her only child a present on his birthday, even if it meant she couldn't eat for a week.

Will couldn't afford to be a weakling, not after everything she had done for him.

"Are you alright?" Will was shaken from his grief, and his thoughts, at the voice. He looked up, and the girl was standing in front of him. She offered him her arm. "Need a hand?"

Will gratefully took her hand and rose to his feet. "Thanks."

She smiled.. "No problem." She paused and frowned. "I don't even know your name, do I?"

"I'm Will,"

"Lydia White, at your service," she announced, laughing.

Will barely heard her, his mind on other things.

"You're a man of few words, aren't you, Mister Will?"

By way of an answer, Will said nothing.

* * *

When Will stepped inside the house, he gasped. He had never seen a house quite like this.

Now, the house seemed bigger than it had before on the outside. Will was standing in an enormous lounge that could fit all of the rooms in his house and still have space for more. The carpet had an intricate pattern of red, yellow, gold and orange, and it covered the entire floor. A friendly fire crackled in the hearth, casting the room in a cosy glow. In front of the fire, there were three enormous sofas sitting in a 'U' shape. A cupboard that contained what Will's mother would call 'useless trinkets' stood along one wall. The immense curtains were draped casually in front of the window, allowing just enough room to see the stars outside. As the door was opened, a colossal chandelier hung from the ceiling, the transparent diamonds tinkling softly against each other.

However, Lydia glared disdainfully at all the riches and beautiful items and stalked past, sighing.

"What's wrong?" asked Will.

"What? Oh, nothing..."

Will raised his eyebrows, but he didn't persist. Lydia led him through the living room towards what appeared to be the kitchen, which was unoccupied. Will quickly scanned the room, and took in the details at a high speed. The latticed walls were lined with an array of china plates and teacups patterned with a blue floral design. The oven had a delicious smell emanating from it, like baking bread. Will felt his stomach growl in despair.

Lydia turned around."Are you hungry?"

When Will sheepishly nodded, she whirled around and, looking through one of the many cupboards, she found a slice of bread. Then she took a knife from the drawer. Will backed away.

"What? You think I'm about to run you through?" Lydia laughed. "I was going to spread butter on this bread, you idiot."

For some reason, Will didn't care that this girl had just blatantly insulted him. There was something about her that put him totally at ease. Although her house was the richest building he'd ever been in, and although she was clearly quite posh, he knew from just a few minutes of being with her that she wasn't a bit snobby. He also found it distinctly odd that her trusted her wholeheartedly, even though the thought had crossed his mind that he'd never seen her before in his life, despite the fact that she lived in Littleroot Town.

_Strange. _The word was in his brain before he knew he'd even thought it.

"Are you eating this?"

Will slipped out of his train of thought. Lydia stood in front of him, offering the now-buttered piece of bread. "Oh, thanks," he said, gratefully taking the slice and eating an ample bite.

"Careful! Do you want to choke to death?!" exclaimed Lydia. Will immediately apologised and took a smaller bite. In a matter of moments, the bread was gone and he looked a lot better. Lydia added, with a smile, "Good."

Will smiled back at her; the first smile he'd done in a while.

"Okay, now you can meet my parents." the girl told Will.

Will acknowledged her uncertainly; there was an underlying bitterness to Lydia's tone when she said the word _parents, _and it made him uneasy. Nevertheless, he followed her through the kitchen to a dining room that had a large oak table resting on a dark blue carpet. He found himself wondering how many rooms were in this house when he noticed that at the head of the table, dressed in a terrible blue brocade jacket that threatened to burst at the seams, sat the familiar form of Mayor White. His features were arranged into a jolly visage, but there was something about him that Will didn't like.

Opposite him sat his petite, blonde wife. She wore the same expression that she had had on her face at the door, i.e. a permanent scowl. Will swallowed, and tried to hide his obvious discomfort. He was baffled as to why they had let him in so easily. He suspected that Lydia had considerable persuasive skills. Then, before he could think further, Mayor White spoke, penetrating the heavy silence that blanketed the room like snow, and like snow it was frigid, nasty and numbing up close.

"So, little boy, you've nowhere to go, is that right? My daughter here was rather adamant in helping you," he crooned, with a smile at his daughter.

It wasn't a pleasant smile.

Will managed a 'yes' and a nod, though he couldn't help but feel that the original cosiness he thought the house had was gone in an instant.

"We thought you might like to stay the night."

Will nodded; he was beginning to feel like a Hoothoot. Lydia muttered to him, "Go upstairs. First door on the left."

Will turned and walked out of the room, but didn't get upstairs fast enough. Just as he put his foot on the first step, the sharp sound of a slap was broadcasted across the room.

* * *

When Lydia joined Will in her room (which had books strewn all over the floor) one side of her face was scarlet, while the other was white, and there were tears in her eyes. Will politely averted his gaze. All at once, she began to talk very fast.

"Listen," she whispered, looking over her shoulder anxiously. "You don't want to stay here with _them. _They're horrible. I think they've had all their emotions surgically removed, and, erm... You can probably guess what happened just then. How my father ended up as mayor I'll never know. They feed me every day, but that's it. No love. No compassion. If I'm ill, they tell me to get over it. I feel like a prisoner. They, um... they don't let me go out.. _Ever._ I've wanted to run away for years, but I was so scared because I was alone, and because I've never been outside. I have no idea why my mother let me open the door to you. But that was one of the best things ever, because you say you're an orphan, right?"

Will nodded, though he was too shocked to speak.

Lydia continued, "Well, this may come across a little sudden, I mean, I've just met you, but... will you escape with me?"

It took Will a few seconds for the question to sink in. "You want to run away – and you want me to help you?"

"I'll pack supplies."

"I'm in!" he said, a smile slowly spreading across his features.

They packed at lightning speed without having to leave the room (Lydia kept supplies in her cupboard like she had expected this day to happen). For some reason, she had an extra set of boys' clothes in her room.

"They wanted a son, but they had to make do with me," she explained bitterly as she put them in one of the bags. "They kept buying boys clothes after I was born, which is extremely odd."

Will apologised profusely and continued putting food into the pack.

They crept silently along the corridors, trying not to let their shoes squeak (Lydia had found Will a pair of boys' shoes). Then, the door was silently opened and closed, and the two children were outside in the mercy of the night.

As they felt the town's glow fade behind them after walking for some time, Will asked, "Where are we going, exactly?"

"I'm not sure. Anywhere away from Littleroot, I suppose." She bit her lip. "Will – if we meet anyone else, will they be kind like you? Or will they all be like Mother and Father? I – I always felt alone at home."

Will patted her shoulder awkwardly, for despite the bond he felt they had already, he had only known her for a few hours. "Well, you're not with them any more. Everything will be fine."

* * *

Will taught Lydia everything he knew over the next few months as they travelled aimlessly away from Littleroot. But he was surprised, to say the least, that Lydia was wise beyond her years and knew considerably more than he did.

They travelled for weeks - sleeping in trees, rationing their food - until they came across a cave in Petalburg Woods. The floor was smooth, it was a good size, and it was almost invisible to anyone outside it. In fact, it was only because of Lydia's sharp eyesight that they discovered it. They decided it would be a good place to stay for a while. Lydia had set up the supplies in an orderly fashion while Will had begun to cook their dinner.

As the boy rolled up his sleeves, he winced in pain. He sensed Lydia rushing to his side. "Will, what's wrong?"

He sighed. "I think I should be straight with you here. You I told how my parents di – passed?"

Lydia nodded.

"Well, this is my reminder." And with that sentence, he unbuttoned his shirt and showed her the jagged scar running from his collar bone to his left wrist.

"Oh, Will." she said, her face softening. Will shook his head.

"I'm okay."

The two youths grew from children to adolescents in that cave, after deciding to stay there permanently. Over the years, their friendship grew in intensity to an unbreakable bond. While it was not romantic, it ran a whole lot deeper, rather than just a simple alliance through desperateness to survive away from cruel civilisation.

Will grew into a strong, capable fourteen-year-old, not strong in the literal sense but strong in the way that his mind could not be shattered. He had eventually gotten over his grief and had never looked back. He was tall for his age and was skinny from eating little every day. His hair was black and matted, and his eyes were like a glade in a the woods they lived in – deep, full of hidden messages and about a million different shades of green.

Lydia was the same age as Will. She was tall, but considerably shorter than her best friend. Her frame was slender but strong, and she had cut her hair to shoulder-length to keep it out of the way. Her eyes were as ebony black as ever, and Will often thought they looked like black diamonds sparkling.

It was that day that started the same as so many. Will had just woken up, and peered over to find Lydia still asleep. He watched her inhale and exhale softly, breathing in through her nose and out with a little puff through her mouth.

_She's grown so beautiful over the years,_ he mentally commented. He took in her features – her delicate cheekbones, her blonde hair falling in her face, the way her eyes tilted upwards ever so slightly at the edges. All of a sudden, those eyes were open. He felt a slight blush scatter across his cheeks.

Lydia said quietly, "I was just thinking – remember when you fell out of that tree?"

Will's blush deepened. "You promised not to tease me about that any more!"

Lydia laughed. "You landed in a Beedrill's nest. Of course I'm going to tease. But anyway, do you want to go to the field today?"

Will and Lydia made their way out of their cave, later in the day than usual, to the field that provided a view of Hoenn unlike any other. This was the place where they spent so many endless days talking and laughing – not thinking about the future, but just living in the moment.

It was this day however, that would change both their lives forever.

By the time Will had caught up to Lydia, who had always been faster than him, it was already night. Lydia was bathed in the stars' ethereal hue, her wide eyes staring up at the sky.

Which was now filled with an array of white and purple lights.

When Will peered closer, he saw the silhouette of some kind of Pokémon. It was small, humanoid, and appeared to be wearing some sort of star headdress. Despite the lights shining all around him, his vision was limited and he could not make out anything more. But the pieces of the puzzle only came together when it raised its stubby arms and the lights began to fall like a million little stars. Will reached out and caught one, which immediately dissolved in his palm, leaving a tiny crystalline object.

Looking to the sky, Lydia breathed, "It's so beautiful out here, Will..."

Will felt the crystals fall through his hair. "Yeah."

The 'star storm' continued for over ten minutes and was showing no signs of stopping, but that was when he heard it.

When the light erupted to his right and he heard her scream, his natural instinct rushed towards the sound. He reached out his arms and caught her as she fell. Lydia's name escaped his lips.

Will's best friend of seven years looked the same as ever, but the usual sparkle in her eyes was gone. Only to be replaced with an emotion Will knew all too well.

Fear.

"Will...?" she pleaded, clutching his hand desperately. "What's happening to me?"

"What''s happening?! What do you mean, Lydia? Lydia! Lydia, what do you see?"

"Voices..." she said, "They say something about... destiny? And that... that I..."

Will motioned for her to speak, his brow knitted together.

"That I must die," she choked out, a single tear tracing a line down her face. "and that I'm dying now." Will breathed in sharply, his expression rendering one of shock.

"Lydia... Don't go – don''t leave me alone."

Lydia uttered his name once, reaching up a pale hand to his face.

"Please, Lydia, tell me this is some kind of joke."

Will watched the last glimmer of hope fizzle out of her eyes.

"Will, thank you."

Will tried to to stop the tears that were blanching his eyeballs from falling. "For what?"

"Thank you for opening my eyes."

And with that, Will felt his friend, his meaning for living, go limp in his arms. At that moment, all his hopes, all his dreams, all his wishes seemed to dissipate as he felt his tears fall onto his friend's perfect face, until it looked like she was crying too.

* * *

That night as Will watched his friend pass on, he felt numb. He hadn't even felt like this when his mother died. He ran, away from Lydia's body bathed in bright lights, away from the stars, away from the strange Pokémon. He was trying to run away from himself. Eventually he came to a tree, which he leaned against and fell asleep,

Soon, he slipped into a dream.

He was walking through a strange cavern that was unusually pretty. The pebbles crunching under his feet were inlaid with jewels. The walls were a clean, ivory colour. He navigated the cave as though something was pulling him towards it. After a while, he ended up in a large room that was empty except for the creature that lay asleep in the middle of it. Its body was primarily white in colour, though the yellow streams trailing behind it and the three-pointed star headdress on its head were yellow. On the headdress's three points were three pale green tags. Beneath its closed eyelids there were two green triangular markings.

All at once, the Pokémon's feminine voice permeated Will's distressed state of mind, seemingly telepathically. _Welcome, William._

Will's dream-self spoke. "Don't call me that." His father had called him William, and he didn't like to be reminded of his troubled past.

The creature smiled sadly. _You are still grieving over your family. And, of course, your friend Lydia._

The sound of _her _name made Will clench his fists in anger. "Who are you?" He knew this Pokémon could somehow read his mind, so he tried to release all his conflicting thoughts out of his head.

_Soon, the answers will be revealed._

Realisation dawning, Will suddenly recognised the shape of this Pokémon as the one he saw in the purple and white light. "You killed her! You killed Lydia!" he screamed, rushing towards the creature. He inevitably ran into an invisible barrier that prevented him from coming any closer.

_Will, listen to me. _she urged. _There's just over one week left. You must visit my home at Ivory Chink. Do not be afraid, as you will find it. And... _she paused. _You could see Lydia again._

"But she – she died! I watched my own best friend die! And it was you who killed her." he yelled angrily.

_Her fate was planned, but unfortunately carrying out the deed was my responsibility. Doom Desire was chosen as her destiny, Will. It was her fate._

"Well, what about my fate? Is that planned too?"

_Your destiny? Well,, that is still unclear. _she said with a smile. _It seems you will have to make your own way in the world, my friend._

* * *

**Other author's notes: **Please review is all I can say!


	2. Chapter 1: A Wish

**Title:** Chapter One: A Wish

**Rating: **This fanfiction is rated K+

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Pokémon.

**Author's notes: **This turned out a bit shorter than expected. Anyway 'tis Chapter One!

* * *

**Doom Desire**

** Chapter One: A Wish**

Will traced his hand over Lydia's expertly drawn pictures hanging on the walls of the cave, her pillow, her clothes carefully folded by her bed. Her collection of gems she'd found over the years. All her things that she would never see again.

_Don't cry, you wimp. _

Will dragged a hand across his eyes and picked up his backpack, the same one he had packed so many years before. With a last long look at the cave that had been his home for half of his life, he turned away and trudged down the path towards the future.

He had barely started moving when he realised that he'd just _left _Lydia in the field in his grief-stricken state! Turning the other way, he headed towards the field as fast as he could, determined to find her and say goodbye one final time.

When he finally found her lying beneath the single oak tree, it struck him how normal she looked. It was as if she had just fallen asleep... but she was wearing her dress.

The one she'd made herself, the one she only wore when she was going to tell him something good.

And now it was too late for her to tell him.

Will sat down cross-legged next to her. He wanted to talk to her.

He said, "This is one huge mess, isn't it, Lyd? You look nice today. I hope you're okay. I'm fine, but I'm missing you a bit. I've got to go on this journey. To somewhere called Ivory Chink? I'm not sure where it is exactly, but apparently I'm sure to find it. And I'm prepared to do whatever it takes to see you again.

"I guess I'll see you soon."

And as Will felt his body get up and walk away from her still body, he could have sworn he'd seen her smile.

Moving away from Petalburg Woods for the first time since he was about eight, Will tried to control all his thoughts that were whizzing around his mind like Beedrills.

_Where is Ivory Chink?_

_ Who is that Pokémon?_

_ What did she mean, I' could see Lydia again?_

He barely acknowledged the small canine creature, which had bright orange fur and black stripes over its back that was walking alongside him, rubbing against his ankle. The creature had a little cream fluff on its head and had a tail of the same colour. From its more slender frame and elegant gait, he was inclined to believe it was female.

After walking for some time with the Pokémon refusing to go away, he decided to just accept her presence. Because now the many thoughts had simply dwindled down to one.

_I don't want to be alone._

* * *

Growlithe didn't like humans, usually.

She found that they were too loud, too brash. There were too _many _of the creatures. Growlithe was a kind soul, and had been brought up in a large pack. She loved her life, until a group of Mightyena came to take it all away. Mightyena whom, she believed, had then moved on to Littleroot Town. The attack had made everyone in the village bitter and hating. But Will – he was different. He had ignored her at first, but now he was smiling.

She had run away from the town a few hours ago after being kicked at in the street for no reason, and having a mouthful of profanity thrown at her. She'd run into the woods, sat down, and wept. Getting to her feet shakily, she caught a strange scent in the air, and decided to follow it until she reached its source – Will.

It – or he - smelled like... strength. Grief. Loss. Yet, a sense of humour.

And above all, kindness.

* * *

Littleroot Town had changed so much in seven years. The houses were crumbling and dilapidated. People walked around looking tired and defeated, like life was proving too much for them.

Growlithe whined.

A little old woman walked past, barely glancing at Will. Will decided to ask what had happened.

"Excuse me, miss," Will said, hurrying to her. "What's happened to Littleroot Town?"

The woman frowned. "Who are you, boy?"

"Will Shenstone, miss," Will said. He had decided being polite was the best way of getting a straight answer out of the woman. "This is my hometown, but I – you could say I went away for a while. It looks so different now than it did a few years ago."

"What are you talking about, lad?"

"It used to be, I don't know, a kind of little village that wouldn't be out of place on a Christmas card." Will said, trying to express his thoughts with his hands. "But now - it's all... well..."

"Ruined?" asked the woman with a sad smile.

"Yes!" Will exclaimed. "Yes, that's exactly what I mean!"

"Why don't you come to my house, it's bitter cold today. I'll tell you what happened to this town and you'll tell me what happened to you. Okay?"

Will hesitated for a moment, for he didn't know this woman. Eventually, his curiosity got the better of him; in addition he had been forced to 'borrow' someone's bicycle and cycle here at top speed, Growlithe precariously balanced on its front. He said: "Okay."

This is how the next thing he knew, Will was sitting in the old woman's living room, a cup of tea in his hands.

"Sorry I was so unfriendly to you at first, but you can't trust anyone these days." apologised Clara, for this was the old woman's name. "All of us are just trying to get by on our own, ever since... Ah, I'd best tell you the whole story.

"Years ago this town was a clean little pretty village, until the freak weather began happening. Tornadoes, hurricanes, extreme sunlight. Yes... now the townsfolk are simply waiting for the next wave of terror. I've lost a grandchild to this terrible situation." The old woman's eyes were pained. "Poor Adam... he was so young..."

She paused for a moment, as if to keep herself from crying. A few seconds later, she asked, "So, what's your story?"

Will was agape. The town had always held bad memories for both him and Lydia, so they never talked about it. But still – it was the first home he'd ever had, and his mother had lived here too.

His mother.

He hadn't thought properly about her for years. Oh, there was the occasional passing thought, the odd 'what if?' moment, but he had not had a proper think for a long time – mostly because he liked to keep bad things private, always keep his mind moving away from his mother's lifeless face. Yet here he was at the place of her death.

_Oh, what the heck,_ he thought. _I've got to tell someone._

Will opened his mouth, and everything - from his mother's death to his recent arrival at Littleroot Town – came from it. He told her about his dream, and his so-called journey. He grew more and more agitated, and ended up pacing the length of the room whilst wringing his hands by the time he had finished.

It was Clara's turn to be shocked. "That's quite a tale, my boy." she decided. "You've clearly experienced grief on a profound scale. Do rest here for a while."

Will tried to protest, but she insisted.

When he exited the house, he fell well rested and happy. Clara's kindness spurred him onwards and he found he was walking faster than usual.

Walking to Ivory Chink.

* * *

"This must be it." said Will, with a hint of excitement to his voice.

The dark mouth of the cave yawned out of the ground like an awakening Hippopotas. Gems sparkled brightly from inside, painfully reminding him of Lydia's eyes. Clenching his fists, he walked inside without a second thought, determined to get this over with before he chickened out.

Pure white pebbles crunched under his feet. Beautiful stones illuminated the cavern. He retraced the steps he had taken in his dream, and found it considerably easy to make his way back to the main room.

He knew she would be there even before he entered the room. The cosmic energy he felt was so great he just knew it wasn't his imagination. The little white figure with the sparkling headress floated above him in the air, her eyes still closed.

"Hello again, Will."

"Hello. I don't know your name," he said. He added "...Murderer."

"I know you're upset..."

"Upset?" Will suddenly yelled, his green eyes blazing with anger. "Lydia was completely innocent! Why would you kill her?"

"Will, I-"

"A fourteen-year-old girl, with her whole life ahead of her!"

"Will!" The Pokémon's voice was now stern. "Please pull yourself together. I regret what I did and I'm sorry, I really am. But there is an extremely important reason why I needed you to come here.

"First of all, my name is Jirachi. I am the one created to grant wishes, but that's not important at this very second. Have you ever heard of Arceus, the creator of everything and everyone?"

Will felt the adrenalin pumping through his veins subside, and he nodded.

"Thousands of years ago, he saw in a prophecy that one day he would succumb to evil. An evil so massive, that he alone would be powerless to stop it. He decided he would need two heroes. A boy strong as the light of the midday sun, his kindness shining as brightly as his green eyes. A girl with the beauty of a delicate flower, as courageous as her black irises were unique. That was you two.

"And so, millennia later, both of you were born. You were given tough starts in life, to prepare you for a tough journey ahead."

"But you said that you didn't know my fate! You said it was still unclear."

"The future is not for my eyes. The past, however, I can see quite clearly." Jirachi said. "However, I had a fearful premonition just one month ago, and knew that it was time. Sadly, by that day, my lord Arceus was no longer the kind and benevolent ruler that the Hall of Origin knew so well. He, unaware of the monster he had become, ordered me to kill you both, or he would destroy the universe."

"He didn't mean that, surely?"

"Believe me, he did. He only knew that one day you would attempt to defeat him, not that he was the one who created you for that very purpose. He would – and will – do anything to keep himself in power. And when I arrived at Petalburg Field, I could not bear to kill two innocent people.

"I used my weakest possible spell, in the hope that Doom Desire would not destroy you. Alas, it was not to be." she murmured softly.

Will couldn't take it any more. He sank to the ground, eliciting droplets of water from his eyes and grief-stricken sobs from his mouth. He felt his sorrow ebb and flow inside him like the sea. He despised feeling like this, so lost and so alone. He had dealt with death twice in his life, but never before had he felt heartache on such a massive scale.

"Oh, my child," Jirachi said. "I am so sorry."

Will eventually composed himself, wiped his red-rimmed eyes, and stood up. "Why do you keep your eyes closed all the time?" he questioned. "You can't be asleep, because you're talking to me."

Jirachi's mouth turned upwards in a smile. "Oh, but I am asleep. I have been for aeons, in fact." she said. "I have been waiting for you, Will. You see, you have a gift. The gift of seeing Pokémon in their true form.

"And that is why I called you here. The truth is, I _need_ you to unlock your hidden potential, so that I can fully awaken and guide you on your journey."

"What do you mean?" asked Will, his head facing the floor.

"What I mean is quite simple. I just need you to look at me. _Really _look at me."

Will shook his head in confusion, but lifted his gaze. Jokingly, he imagined what her true form looked like. He was completely unprepared for the sight that greeted him.

Instead of the tiny Pokémon he expected to see, he saw a striking young woman. Her beauty was surreal in a sense, with her snow-white complexion. Her hair was long and blonde, and three turquoise ribbons were secured in it. She was wearing a flowing white dress, with two long golden ribbons trailing behind it. And, when he studied her face, he saw two teardrops painted underneath bright, wide emerald eyes.

"Oh, what a joy it is to open my eyes at last!" she laughed. "Thank you."

Will was utterly taken aback, but chose not to show it. This Pokémon had what you might call a split personality. "You said two heroes were needed. But now there's only one of us."

"Well, that could change. It depends on what you wish for."

"Wish for?"

"I am the Pokémon who grants wishes, do you not remember? You may wish for anything you like."

Will stared in disbelief at the woman. "Anything at all?"

"Goodness me, boy, your hearing seems to be deteriorating drastically. Yes, anything at all."

"You mean, I could wish to, I don't know, go straight into the future? And then it would just happen?"

"Well, not straight away. I am not that powerful, you know."

Will considered this. He remembered Jirachi's words in his dream: _You could see Lydia again._

Lydia. The little unloved child with the ponytail that he'd grown up with. The girl who he'd laughed with in Petalburg Field for seven years. The girl who had cried in his arms as she died before her time. The girl who was supposed the play a key role in the quest set by Arceus, the god of all Pokémon. His other half, his reason for living.

His best friend.

"Lydia." he said firmly. "I wish to have Lydia back."

"You are sure?"

"I've never been more sure of anything in my life."

Jirachi twirled in the air and uttered four words: "_Mea volueris, vivens venerat_." Her eyes flashed, and then, all was silent.

* * *

**Author's notes: **Thank you to Poofable for being my beta!


	3. Chapter 2: Swirling

**Title: **Chapter Two: Swirling

**Rating: **This fanfiction is rated K+

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Pokémon.

**Author's notes: **This chapter has now been successfully beta edited and stuff. By the way, I stole Will's middle name from my bro :D

* * *

**Doom Desire**

** Chapter Two: Swirling**

_What am I doing?_ Will wondered as he sat against a tree._ I thought I should be on some epic adventure._

Yet here he was, lazing around underneath a fern. He knew Jirachi had told him to wait for a bit, to have a rest, but he had rather hoped that the second he had made the wish, boom, Lydia would be right there in front of him.

Still, at least there was hope that she wasn't dead – or was she? Will couldn't get his head around this fact. He had been there; he could remember every heart-breaking moment of her passing. Yet now, she was coming back from the dead, presumably?

He glanced down at Growlithe, who was busy sunbathing. Being a fire type, she obviously appreciated the sun. Will wished he could be like her, without a care in the world.

_Stop it, William Jack Shenstone, _he told himself firmly. _You've already had your wish. Now you just have to be patient. She'll be back soon._

Dear Arceus, he hoped it was true.

As he sat in front of the tree, he last thing he wanted to do was go to sleep.

He was trying to stay alert, for any warnings of danger or Lydia's return. But he hadn't slept for days, and he was only fourteen years old.

His eyes shut of their own accord, and soon he found himself dreaming of a better place, where everyone ate rainbows for breakfast and sunshine for dinner. Lydia would have laughed at him.

* * *

Growlithe whined, for the twenty-seventh time that day.

She was beginning to feel strange. Her head was permanently fuzzy, and sometimes she couldn't think straight. Some of her memories were fading – little things, like her mother's face and her little brothers' names.

A terrible thought struck her – _Pokérus. _Oh no, anything but that. She'd heard countless tales of the horrific damage that terrible disease could cause. That one tiny word carried more weight than a thousand.

She kept having dreams of someone in her head – a girl, though she had no clue who she was. All she knew was that the girl was human, and Growlithe didn't like humans.

The person Will was always talking about _could _have something to do with the invader of her dreams. The person Will spoke of was somewhat of a mystery, seeing as she didn't speak Human, but Growlithe could see the love shining in his eyes when he did.

Another thing. She sensed something was wrong in her world, but she couldn't quite think of what. But she'd seen the freak weather, felt the storms. They were caused by something massive, something uncontrollable. She, in a funny way, wanted to know how this would all develop.

She'd just have to wait and see what happened.

* * *

Clara clasped her hands with glee.

This was it. This was her big chance.

"Oh Jirachi, this is your worst trick yet," she laughed, shaking her head.

She could see it now – walking up to her overlord, bowing, and saying something extremely flattering. Then, she was really get going, telling him all about Jirachi's crimes.

Though she'd need to change into her own form. She muttered a few spells under her breath.

Suddenly, with a massive blast of white light that would have disintegrated any onlookers, she was transformed into a tall blonde man in a business suit with a red tie. His features were chiselled and handsome, the kind of mid-thirties movie-star type who would make female pensioners scream for his attention. From his back, two gigantic black wings with red edging sprouted. His skin was translucent. It was almost as if he was made from shadows. The old woman's body fell onto the floor, as if she was a costume in some kind of sick pantomime.

He spoke, his voice now a low, masculine growl: "Jirachi, your little heroes are playing right into my hands. I know everything I need to. That stupid old-timer had no idea I was inside her mind, taking in every word!"

He wondered who he was talking to, for he was simply standing in the old woman's living room.

He decided he'd best hide the wrinkled prune in her bed, pretend she'd died of old age. As he did so, he began to laugh sadistically. Oh, what a clever person he was!

"Arceus, the fool, will be in my palm soon enough. Then the world will be mine!"

* * *

When Lydia awoke, everything she saw was blurry, like she was in some kind of dream. She was utterly confused. The last thing she remembered with any clarity was looking up into Will's face as he begged for her to live, before slowly descending into blackness.

Lydia was absolutely certain that she had died. Yet here she was, alive and well. Although, she wasn't feeling that well. There was a piercing pain behind her eyes.

Where was she, anyway? It was almost as if she was sitting in a cloud, because everything around her was white and swirling. She shut her eyes tightly, as if to block it out. She willed herslef to be back in the cave that one fateful morning. It wasn't fair! Why did she have to die?

Lydia sounded like an spoilt child. _Shut up, _she said to herself. She'd taught herself not to talk posh – gone were the days of, "Oh, please be quiet" and "Excuse me, what did you say?". Unfortunately, some days she allowed her mouth to let slip one of her old phrases. _Be glad it was you and not Will._

A figure suddenly appeared in the mist; a woman with an ageless face – she could have been thirteen or thirty. Her long white dress floated around her and her blonde hair flew out behind her, even though there was no wind.

Lydia knew who she was immediately. She had pored over a book about legendary Pokémon when she was six, and had took in every word, every picture. This person – or Pokémon – was Jirachi. There was no mistaking the snow-white skin, emerald eyes and "wish tags" in her hair, even if the mythical creature _was _humanoid.

Lydia was used to humanoid Pokémon. Ever since she was little, she'd been seeing Pokémon as people. The only time she saw Pokémon as they really were was in storybooks.

She'd never told Will - afraid he might think of her as a freak, even though she knew he wasn't like that. She'd bottled it up, pushed it deep inside her, and lived her days in happiness.

Jirachi was now within a metre of her, and before she could open her mouth to speak, Lydia had beaten her to it.

"What's happening, Jirachi? Why am I still alive?"

Jirachi, a little taken aback at Lydia's boldness and the fact that she had figured out who she was so quickly, said, "That is a very long story, my dear. Allow me to explain."

Lydia, twirling her blonde hair between her fingers, nodded.

"I've told you a lot of what happened, prior to your death."

"The voices were you?"

"Yes. I had to offer you some sort of explanation. I hate to destroy someone's life, be them human or inhuman, without having a reason why."

"You've killed someone before." It was more of a statement than a question.

Jirachi pinched the bridge of her nose. She clearly did not want to talk about it. "Not of my own volition. But let me get to the point. You see, your good friend Will has made a wish."

"Of course! You're the wish Pokémon! Did he travel all the way to Ivory Chink? No one has ever discovered it before!"

"You've read about me, it seems."

"Oh yes! Everyone in Littleroot Town wanted to find-"

"That fact aside," interrupted Jirachi, the corners of her lips quirking upwards in a small smile, "I need to tell you what he wished for. This leads me onto the matter that you are still alive."

"Oh." Lydia had guessed. She stood up angrily. "Why would he waste his wish on me?! He could have wished for world peace - or no worries for anyone – or - or - gah! I am going to _kill _him when I find him! I am going to tear every single hair on his body out one by one with tweezers!"

Jirachi was evidently amused by her reaction, but quickly smoothed out her features. After watching Will and Lydia for a long time, she knew the sudden outbursts like these were normal. However there were more grim matters to attend to.

"Sit down, child."

Lydia obliged, though she was still fuming.

"In order to return you to life, I cannot simply pop you next to Will, just like that. I must find you a suitable body."

She waved her hand in the air in front of them, and a vision, almost a hologram, of Will and a Pokémon appeared.

"Observe the Growlithe he travels with."

Lydia's eyes widened. "No – you don't seriously mean- I couldn't just take over a Pokémon's body-"

"I am sorry, but it is the only way. The process has already begun. If I just returned you in your own body – which would be beyond my level of power, I might add – my lord Arceus would surely notice. You must realise it was because of his bidding that I, shall I say, concluded you."

"He basically killed me, then."

"_Kill _is a strong word. Do not think ill of him, it is not his fault. You see, there is something I haven't told Will.

"The thing that has caused him to turn to his dark side, is not his own mind. It is, in fact, one of his right-hand men. This person would – how do you young people say it – _grass _on me if I went against the overlord's will, which is in fact his own."

"Well, what's his name?" asked Lydia.

"His name," said Jirachi thoughtfully, "why, his name is Giratina."

* * *

**Author's notes: **Yeehee... I love prolonging important stuff :D


	4. Chapter 3: Where You Belong

**Title: **Chapter Three: Where You Belong

**Rating: **This fanfiction is rated K+

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Pokémon (oh, woe)

**Author's notes: **My only excuse (and a feeble one at that) for the lateness of this upload is because of all this Christmas/New Year nonsense *cough*LAZY*cough

Happy New Year, everyone!

* * *

**Do****om Desire**

** Chapter Three: Where You Belong**

With its majestic halls and glass partitions, it was a beautiful place to be in. Jirachi took a deep breath and entered the Hall of Origin. After all, she thought to herself, why should she be afraid to enter her birthplace simply because of the people that inhabited it?

Though when she saw Giratina, she wasn't so sure. He was turned away from her, talking to one of the other Legends, and his wings were neatly folded on his back. She glared at the back of his head. She wished she could burn a hole in it as she stormed up to him.

"Giratina, just _what _do you think you are doing?"

Giratina turned to face her, and smirked. "It's not like you to talk to your fellow Legends like this, Jirachi! What's up with you?"

"You know damn well what is up." she hissed. "You may fool Arceus and the other Legends, but you can't fool me. You don't deserve the title of The Ruler Of Distortion, though that's just what you do every day! Distort everything and everyone to be on your side!"

Giratina widened his crimson eyes in mock innocence. "I don't know what you are talking about."

"I'd best tell you what this is about then, since you clearly _can't remember_." She emphasized the last two words with such passion that the king of death was knocked backwards.

"Excuse me, everyone," she said to the others in the Hall. When she realised they could not hear her, she shouted it. "_Excuse _me, everyone!"

Jirachi was rarely known to raise her voice, so this granted her immediate attention. "Could you leave Giratina and I alone for a moment, please?"

The room cleared reasonably quickly after that.

"So you think you know what you're doing, eh, Wish Maiden? You think this is where you belong?" The words were spat from the blonde man's mouth harshly.

"Of course I do!" Jirachi said, though there was a hint of uncertainty hidden in her voice. "You haven't got your little friends to help you out, have you?"

This seemed to anger Giratina so much, he grabbed her by the neck. "I have over 30 extremely powerful Pokémon joining my cause. You have two puny Children of the Captors on yours.

"Who do you think knows more about what they are doing, hm?"

Jirachi swallowed. "You don't know anything."

He threw her against the wall with ease, his incredible strength making this an easy task. Jirachi winced as she felt herself slam against the glass.

"Oh, but I know you better than anyone, you silly girl."

This last sentence sent a chill down her spine. There was something about him - his stance, his voice, his facial expressions - that terrified her beyond belief despite the cheeriness of his words. But deep down, in some remote corner of her heart, there was a place there that was meant just for him, even after all those years.

She looked into the face of the man she had once loved.

* * *

Growlithe was forgetting,

What was her name?

What was this black-haired boy's name?

Where was she and why was she here?

_Some questions will always remain unanswered_, she thought miserably.

The Pokémon felt her throat growing tight as she felt her conscience fade. Her breathing was uneven and her back ached.

Hyperventilating, she stared upwards, into the sleep that was claiming the teenage boy's visage. Will...that was his name, wasn't it? And that meant she had to will herself to keep breathing. But then she felt the pain spread, and it encased her mind. There was no point. There was no point to anything.

Growlithe collapsed.

* * *

Today was Will's fifteenth birthday.

He awoke with the sunlight dappling his face, giving him warmth despite being outside. The leaves seemed to be lusher and brighter somehow, and a gentle zephyr stroked his face.

And he was miserable.

Never had a birthday seemed so cold. At the cave, he and Lydia would have a tradition of hiding for the day. If one of them found the other before night fell, the 'hider' would present their gift. It was usually something silly, like a drawing or a carved rock, but these little treats were always appreciated.

Will had always been greatly saddened by the fact that he could never give Lydia a decent birthday present. He'd tried so hard last year, He scoured the field for days, searching the entire area, even risking a trip to a nearby village.

This trip earned him a pendant from an antique shop. He had walked in there, and despite knowing that he had no money at all, asked how much a shiny silver necklace was.

The man behind the counter, who appeared to have his face covered by the shadows from the rafters, told him it was free, seeing as he was 'a special case'. Hardly daring to question his luck, he took it without question.

Lydia was delighted with her gift. She hugged him, which was better than any gift she'd ever given him.

* * *

"Wake up, little boy..."

Perhaps it was the sound of the unfamiliar voice or the harshness that lay in its tone, but Will suddenly found his eyes opening much faster than normal. Snow was falling steadily, and it already coated the coated in an icy blanket. He could've sworn it was sunny five minutes ago.

Snow in April. So this was the freak weather that Clara had described.

"Arceus, I didn't realise you slept this much..." Will looked up into the blond man's face as he spoke.

"Who are you?" he asked.

"First of all, let me say 'happy birthday'..." said the man, ignoring the question, "though I don't think that you'll be happy much longer..."

Choosing to temporarily disregard the ominousness of the red-eyed man's statement, Will repeated, "Who are you?"

Wait, red eyes?

"My name is irrelevant, but seeing as you will clearly persist in asking me, I'll tell you. I am Giratina, Ruler of Distortion and keeper of the dead." Maybe it was Will's imagination, but something seemed to stir in the trees and caused the leaves to rustle urgently as Giratina's title was uttered.

"You're a Pokémon then," Will said uncertainly. "Sure. No problem."

A sadistic smile spread across Giratina's face. "I how you're feeling." He paused. "Scared."

"I'm not afraid of you," Will said bravely, though the sense of dread that he received from this man was unlike no other.

"Oh really?" Giratina's features became that of an armoured, snakelike beast. His wings spread out behind him and divided into three deadly lengths, and shadows seemed to erupt from the ground instantly. His skin become a pearly grey colour, and a serpentine body came from his chin. Alternating red and black stripes travelled along the length of his physical structure, along with grey and gold spikes. His actual head was the most terrifying. It was no longer humanoid in any way; instead, metallic golden matter replaced his jaw and forehead, and crimson eyes glared out from in between.

Will swallowed. "No! Now tell it to me straight. _Why _are you here?"

The behemoth returned to his original state. "Hmm, yes, I suppose there has been a lot of stalling on my part...although how I love to watch you squirm.

"You and your little friends have been messing with Arceus's will." To his horror, Jirachi and Lydia appeared in the air next to him. Their eyes were dulled, however, and their hair had lost its natural sheen. In fact, with their gaunt expressions and skeletal bodies, they looked terribly ill.

With a small chuckle at Will's expression, Giratina clicked his bronzed fingers. The two young women disappeared.

"Allow me to explain." Will made no effort in making a response, since he already knew enough about Giratina's personality to be sure that he wouldn't wait for one. Since I began making _drastic _improvements to the intellectual wasteland one would call the Hall of Origin, us Legendaries have begun to take sides." He ceased to talk for a moment, as if for dramatic effect, but soon proceeded to carry on. "The ones with enough common sense choose mine and the overlord's side – well, mainly my side, let's be honest – and the remainder decide to work with the Wish Maiden." Even uttering Jirachi's title seemed to bring disgust to his face. "They call themselves perspicacious because they choose to ignore my offer of power, though there are barely enough of them to call them anything. From what I recall, there's only Jirachi, Celebi, Mew, Latias and the lake guardians. That's seven, and then their only other help are two human teenagers."

Will was scarcely able to form words. "Can you explain the weather?"

"Certainly. The weather trio are doing things with their newfound power that most could only dream of. For the first time in aeons they are doing the things they have always dreamed of. They have, in a way, neglected their duties as of late. This has caused the weather to be a little...out of whack, per se." He gestured at the rapidly descending snow.

"Giratina, don't you realise the damage you have caused? Many people are dead because of your ridiculous desire for power! Just get to the point now? What are you here for? Where's Jirachi?"

The physical embodiment of death was taken aback by the bombard of questions, but he chose to ignore the first three sentences and simply chose to reply to the remainder. "Well, Jirachi is not important now – I took care of _her._" A chill travelled down Will's spine like an icy finger at these words, though he knew he was bluffing. "It's the Daughter of the Captors that is."

Daughter of the Captors? Will barely had time to register what Giratina meant before Lydia materialized before him again. "The pretty little necklace she wears...a little gift from me, hm?"

"A gift from _me_, actually." Will replied indignantly. Will didn't like to think of himself as a selfish person, but he couldn't deny that his natural pride made him resent the serpent's words.

"No, little boy. A present from yours truly. Do you not recall?"

A sudden wave of memories flashed through Will's head. Walking to a village. Entering a dusty old shop. Seeing a pendant. Talking to the shop assistant...oh no! The man's face was covered by shadows, but when he thought about it, he could clearly remember a dark suit.

How could he have been so stupid?

What was he thinking, taking a random necklace for free?

Will groaned. "What did you do to it?" he demanded, not sure if he wanted to know the answer.

"Oh, you see, that's really quite clever. I knew you would be coming – I had to bribe that stupid Celebi to tell me – so I quickly cursed it. The curse will only come into effect, however, on the day when you come to try – note the word try – and defeat me. That day shall be, I don't know, in about a week?"

"I remember clearly, Giratina, that I'm not afraid of you!"

A harsh laugh erupted from the Ruler of Distortion's throat, bringing a twisted smile to his face. "And you will remember me all too well, William Jack Shenstone, when your friend dies for the second time."

* * *

**Other notes: **Several cliffhangers (I refuse to say 'cliffy'). I have essentially guaranteed flames, with my prolonging Lydia's return (IT'S SO FUN!). I can honestly assure you she will be in the next chapter, without fail.


	5. Chapter 4: Reborn

**Title: **Chapter Four: Reborn

**Rating: **This fanfiction is rated K+

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Pokémon. Life gave me lemons instead.

**Author's notes: **I have kept my promise, people. Weirdest chapter yet ^^ But it's longer than the last one (by that I mean it's about 3 sentences in difference).

Enjoy, or I will feel like a failure!

* * *

**Doom Desire**

** Chapter Four: Reborn**

Well, nothing had surprised Will more than what he saw that day.

"You seem a little...different, Scruffy Boy," said Lydia, using her old nickname for Will.

"I could say the same for you, Posh Girl."

Will stared at the person in front of him. And it _was _her – the same face, same hair, everything – but it was true, there was a different air about her. An alternative stance, maybe. And of course, he couldn't miss the fangs. Growlithe was a canine Pokémon, after all.

"Nice teeth."

"Shut up," Lydia grinned. "Honestly. I die, take the trouble to come back from the grave – unwillingly taking over another body in the process - and all you've got to say to me is 'Nice teeth'. Thanks, I'm really feeling the whole 'welcome back' vibe here."

"Nothing changes," Will said, stepping forward and pulling her into a tight hug. "I missed you."

"You too," Lydia replied, her voice muffled by Will's shoulder. "Shame we'll be too busy dying to enjoy it."

Will sighed. "Tell me what's happening."

It had begun as an ordinary day – well, as normal as Will's life got – as he was travelling along a country road, finally tiring of waiting around. He did trust Jirachi, but he did wish she would hurry up and give Lydia to him. Oh goodness, that made him sound like Giratina – hungry for everything he could get his hands on. And Giratina wasn't exactly his role model.

He was just stopping at a stream to cool off, as the temperature had skyrocketed from sub-zero to sweltering in a matter of a few hours. The sun was shining too brightly in a sky that was too blue, and there wasn't a single cloud in sight. He heard a slight panting sound to his right, and as he turned, believing that Growlithe was just a little hot, he saw something haunting.

He had grown used to Growlithe's scarlet eyes. They were as red as fire, so she lived up to her typing. But as he glanced at her, the red had become black.

Almost...almost like Lydia's eyes.

With a shudder, he crept over and peered at the Pokémon properly. She seemed otherwise healthy, and he had no explanation as to the sudden change of iris colour.

He blinked hard, thinking he was hallucinating, and was met by the sight of a girl half a metre away.

His gaze travelled from her feet, to her clothes that followed a colour scheme of orange and black, to her slim neck, her blonde hair and then to her face. Her face, where eyes sat glittering like black diamonds.

* * *

"Well, you're in trouble now, aren't you?"

He had Jirachi pinned against the wall of his living quarters by her hands. His room was as dark as the man himself, most of the furniture being either purple, gold or ebony.

Her room, by comparison, was green and white.

He brought his face close to hers, so she could see the fire and hatred in his eyes.

"You're insane," she told him, her gaze matching his. "You can't seriously think that Arceus will give his kingdom to you."

"He already has,. As good as, anyway. And _you_," he said, dragging a finger across her throat, "are helping me immensely."

"I would rather DIE than help you!" Jirachi yelled, aiming a kick at his shin.

"Temper, temper!" he tutted. "And I think you'll find you are. Your problem, Jirachi, is that you always think you know the consequences of your actions."

Jirachi internally winced as her biggest flaw was put into words.

"The little girlie is dead. I know this, as the one who rules over the deceased. She _died_. And the dead STAY dead, okay? Otherwise you're causing problems for Dialga, Palkia and I.

"And you know full well what's going to happen now, don't you?"

Jirachi screamed, "_Stop _it! Why do you always delight in others' pain?"

The blonde man wouldn't relent. "A void will open at the place time and space are stitched together. What you thought was just a little wish will eventually tear apart time. And _then_, oh, then, I will rise while others are weak and control everything. So, you see? Thanks for all your help."

He let go of her arms and she fell to the floor. But she couldn't just let him go on that note. Her biggest weakness was also her biggest strength.

She ran at him, sending her most powerful attack towards his retreating back. It hit him square in the left wing, this causing him to walk with a more lopsided gait. He turned, and instead of crimson irises she saw fire. Literal fire.

She was expecting it to turn into a full-out battle. She kind of hoped it would, as it would be a thousand times better than whatever he was going to do.

Of course, with Giratina being Giratina, what he did was far worse. He had an uncanny trick of guessing emotions, and as he used Shadow Force to teleport himself to Jirachi, she knew that he had guessed her remaining feelings for him. He wouldn't normally travel in this way – usually he preferred to get around via flying, but because of his apparently now broken wing, he couldn't.

He crushed his lips against hers, but she felt no emotion behind this gesture. She was well aware that he was only doing this to get power over her, but in that moment she felt all her memories of her time with him come flooding back – how back then he'd been so sweet to her, so tired of his monotonous life.

Her eyes widened as her past hit her in the face.

He pulled away and wiped his mouth in disgust, but his expression was triumphant. "Anger me again, and it's another kiss and another trip down Memory Lane for you."

* * *

"This saddens Celebi."

These words came from the mouth of a young girl, no older than twelve, whose eyes were electric blue. Her clothes were several different shades of green. Startlingly, she had two purple-blue wings protruding from her back, and was wearing a matching robe over one shoulder - these two additions to her body were filmy to the point of transparency. Vines and flowers twined around her limbs.

They were sitting in a ferris wheel. Will had heard that they had of one of these in the faraway Unova region and he supposed that they had brought one to Hoenn. That piece of trivia aside, Will wanted to know what this girl meant by that sentence.

"What does?"

The girl looked at him pityingly. "Look around you, boy. Look at what they've done to Celebi's kingdom. Look at the wreckage and damage they have caused."

Lydia was about to ask why Celebi used her own name when referring to herself, but thought better of it. "So, why did Celebi - I mean, why did you bring us here?" she asked. "To the ferris wheel, I mean."

"Celebi brought you here to show you what is happening, and to show you that Celebi is on your side. As for the ferris wheel..." She paused delicately, as if thinking of a reason. "...Celebi just loves ferris wheels. But Celebi supposes this time, it's to make you aware of the damage from a great height. And to let you know that _you're _the only ones who can save us!" Celebi twirled in the air happily.

Lydia mentally laughed. Were all of Jirachi's friends this weird?

"Celebi worries about Jirachi." said the green girl suddenly. "I suspect something is wrong between her and Giratina."

A simultaneous "What?" came from either adolescent's mouth.

"Oh, didn't you know?" said Celebi, surprised. "They were once in love!"

This hit either of them hard, and for good reason. They had planned to leave tomorrow - to seek out the Distortion World, defeat Giratina, and restore the peace. But their mentor was in love with the enemy?

"How-"

"Not any more, of course," Celebi cut across. "But Giratina – he is manipulative. He can tell when you are weak. He senses your feelings and pounces like a predator."

Gazing out the window, Lydia felt an immense wave of sadness. Ever since she had entered this new body she had began to feel odd. The colours around her seemed a little too bright. And when she looked at Will especially, she felt a different kind of feeling. Once again, she cursed her parents for her childhood isolation, as she had no way of describing these emotions. The closest thing she could come to, going by the hundreds on books she had flicked through, was this:

Lydia had a 'crush' on Will.

Will glanced across at Lydia. She was fiddling with her necklace; a habit she had acquired over the past year. She only did this when she felt worried.

Wait...the _necklace._

"Lydia!" Will yelled, causing Celebi to jump in surprise. "Lydia, you have to get rid of the necklace! It's _cursed_!"

"Wh-what?!" Lydia looked at Will as if he was insane. "How?"

"Giratina told me. He's cursed it, so when we go to defeat him, you'll die. Again!"

It was times like these that she wished her best friend didn't yell. _Oh sure, Will, just go ahead and broadcast my 'undead'-ness to the whole world._

On the other hand, she didn't feel like dying any time soon. Obediently, she removed the pendant from her neck. She examined it closely. Ancient patterns and swirls traced their way across the bronze circle's diameter, and archaic words and messages were carved around the edges.

Her mind could detect a Pokémon-like air about these words. As she tried to decipher them, she vaguely heard a noise in the back of her head. At first, she thought it was laughing, but as the sound grew she could distinctly hear somebody crying for help, speaking to her, calling out her name...

She dropped the pendant.

She wondered if it would smash to pieces on the hard floor of the pod, but it just spun a few times on its edges before slowing.

Celebi's face went white. "By Johto, Celebi hasn't seen these words since she last visited her shrine!" She snatched it from the floor and swore again. "Of all things to curse..."

"What is it?" Lydia enquired curiously. "And what do the words mean?"

"_Ille qui gerit adducet vita._" When Lydia peered at her quizzically, the fairy-like girl sighed and said, "He who wears shall bring life."

"But Lydia's a girl," Will said, confused. Said girl groaned and put her head in her hands. Will was clever, but at the same time he was extremely dense.

"It wasn't _made_ for me, idiot," the blonde girl said. "It belonged to someone else important, and now Giratina has cursed it and made me wear it."

"You've got it faster than he has, and he knew first," Celebi told her with a smile. "And the important person is Arceus."

"No way. No. Really? No! Serious? No way. No! No way! You're joking, right? Right - No!" Will said all this extremely quickly and Lydia was forced to stifle a laugh.

Celebi gave a childish laugh. "Yes way. Though it is no laughing matter – this is one of Arceus's main sources of power. Without it, he is severely weakened. This, Celebi assumes, kick-started Giratina's reign of power," The girl gazed at the necklace. "Like this says, Arceus did give us life in the beginning of time. First there was an egg, which birthed Dialga, Palkia, and..."

"Giratina."

"Indeed. You seem to know your mythology."

"I was cooped up in a house full of books for the first seven years of my life. I didn't have anything else to do," Lydia sighed. "Then came...um, I'm sorry, I'm a little rusty."

"The lake guardians," Celebi supplied. "Celebi came much later, after time, space, and antimatter were created. The Spirit of the Forest." At this, the scenery outside the glass of the pod seemed to become greener. "Yes, our titles have a certain...power to them. Arceus is simply The Original One."

Speaking of titles, Will was reminded of the Ruler of Distortion. "Giratina said he bribed you to tell him I would come to a village."

"Not something Celebi is particularly proud of, no," She pinched the bridge of her nose. "Celebi also sees time and space. The entire continuum swirls through her brain. Always, she sees what happens. If I," - Celebi, for the first time, did not use her own name - "if I were to show you, it would destroy the fabrics of your mind and you would go insane.

"That aside, Giratina knows this and came to find Celebi," The short moment of grammatical correctness was over. "He did not bribe me – goodness, Celebi would never accept even a Berry from him. He used his hypnotic powers...I feel terrible for even falling for it."

Lydia nodded. "Celebi, thanks for being truthful. But," She stood up. "this damn necklace needs to go back to Arceus."

"Agreed. You may do the honours."

Lydia took the piece of jewellery, walked to the entrance of the pod and opened the door. They were at a ridiculously high height, but she wasn't looking down. She looked up; in the myths the Hall of Origin was always in the sky. With one swift flick of her wrist, the necklace was thrown into the air.

Instead of falling straight to the ground, it rose through the sky in a bronzed jetstream.

* * *

**Author's notes: **What a messed up chapter...and it's kind of cheesy too D:


End file.
